Christantus Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Win at Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Missing key players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming match against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to seal straight passage to the last 16, especially following a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for several Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second game in match.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their domestic season proved outmatched even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Established from the Start
Despite heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to find his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's effort had struck the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Contest
The match was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring with his first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the traveling side.
